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Bruce Gowers, the Emmy and Grammy winner who directed nine-plus seasons of American Idol and hundreds of music videos, including the seminal “Bohemian Rhapsody” from Queen, has died. He was 82.
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Gowers died Sunday in Santa Monica of complications from an acute respiratory infection, his family announced.
Gowers also directed and co-created the long-running series of Kidsongs sing-along videos for Warner Bros. Records with his wife, Carol Rosenstein.
A specialist in live events and TV specials, Gowers directed and/or produced the Emmys, the Billboard Music Awards, MTV’s Music Video and Movie awards, the ESPYs, the People’s Choice Awards and many other award shows.
He called the shots for 234 episodes of American Idol from 2002-11, from the first season to the 10th, according to IMDb, and won his Emmy for outstanding directing for a variety, music or comedy series in 2009.
His Grammy trophy came in 1986 for his work on the music video for Huey Lewis and the News’ “Heart of Rock and Roll.” Eight years later, he received a DGA award for helming the CBS special Genius: A Night for Ray Charles.
Along the way, he directed comedy specials from Richard Lewis, Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy and Paula Poundstone and music specials from Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears.
Gowers’ touch on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” filmed at Elstree Studios in London in November 1975 in about three hours for the BBC’s Top of the Pops, helped Freddie Mercury and his mates find superstardom and proved to be a defining moment in the history of the music video business.
It was the first music video ever aired by the influential Top of the Pops, and he said he got $590 for the gig.
“It changed the way music was perceived; everyone was doing videos and bands were seeing their sales and chart positions rise if their videos were good,” he told the Daily Mail in 2018.
“The only thing that upsets me is that they have been using my video for 40 years, and they have never paid me a dime or said thank you.”
Gowers also directed music videos for Rod Stewart (“Hot Legs” and more), Michael Jackson (“Rock With You”), Prince (“1999”), John Mellencamp (“Jack and Diane”), The Rolling Stones (“Fool to Cry”), Rush (“Limelight,” “Tom Sawyer”), Ambrosia (“How Much I Feel”), 10cc (“I’m Not in Love”), Bee Gees (“How Deep Is Your Love”), Supertramp (“Goodbye Stranger”), Chaka Kahn (“I’m Every Woman”), Peaches and Herb (“Reunited”), Journey (“Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’”) and The Tubes (“Prime Time”).
Gowers was born on Dec. 21, 1940, in New Kilbride, Scotland, where his British parents, Robert, an educator, and Violet, a homemaker, were stationed during World War II. He grew up in Enfield, North London, and graduated from The Latymer School.
He attended the BBC Training College and started his career at the BBC, where he was a cable puller, cameraman and production manager before landing producing and directing positions at the Rediffusion and London Weekend Television networks.
Gowers relocated to the U.S. in the ’70s and met Rosenstein on the music video shoot for Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night.” He also worked with Elton John, The Pretenders, Santana, Van Halen, REO Speedwagon, Christopher Cross, Genesis and Fleetwood Mac during his career.
For the past 23 years, he and Rosenstein resided in Malibu.
In addition to his wife, survivors include his daughter, Katharine; son Sean; grandchildren Sean Jr., Robert, Charlotte and Layla; his former wife, Charlene; and his beloved bulldogs, Baby and Rocky, and parrot, Polly.
A memorial service is being planned. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to World Central Kitchen and/or Southern California Bulldog Rescue.
Gowers, his family noted, “always brought boundless enthusiasm, energy, passion and joy to his work. He loved and was loved by the crews that he worked with and was known far and wide for his generosity as a colleague, constantly encouraging and promoting the talented people on his team.
“Funny, irreverent and wonderfully candid, he will be remembered in countless legendary stories that will keep his charming spirit alive for many years to come. He was always happiest in the control room, on a boat in the Bahamas, and of course, at home with the dogs, friends and family.”
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
After releasing his first-album X 100Pre in 2018, Bad Bunny quickly went from emerging artist to superstar status. The set scored him his first entry on the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it peaked at No. 11 in January 2019.
Since he’s released Oasis, his 2019 joint album with J Balvin, as well as further solo sets YHLQMDLG, Las Que No Iban a Salir, El Último Tour del Mundo and Un Verano Sin Ti. The latter two of those debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making him the only artist to top the tally with a Spanish-language album — not once, but twice.
Accomplishing that was just the beginning for Bunny. His Un Verano Sin Ti is vying to become the first Spanish-language album ever to win album of the year at the Grammys this February. In 2022, Bad Bunny also became the first Latin act (and the first act who doesn’t perform primarily in English) to finish atop Billboard’s Year-End Top Tours chart thanks to his top-grossing El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo and World’s Hottest Tour.
“I feel in control. I’ve been doing this five, six years, and I’ve been acquiring experience,” Bad Bunny told Billboard in December. “We’re living in a digital era, where everybody can upload their music and if you explode, you explode, and suddenly, you’re huge with a single hit and you have no experience. You haven’t crashed against anything. I’d say I’ve acquired that experience little by little. I’ve been able to overcome and heal many things in my life, and now I feel that security. I’ve never felt as centered in both my life and my career. I’m clear on what I am and who I am in terms of the music industry.”
With a history-making Coachella headlining set on the horizon, in 2023, Bad Bunny continues to set a precedent for Latin and Spanish-language music. Read on to see what the superstar has managed to accomplish so far.
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Sam Smith’s tour in support of his forthcoming fourth studio album, Gloria (via Capitol), will have a 2023 swing Down Under.
The superstar British singer and songwriter adds arena dates in five cities, kicking off Oct. 28 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in South Australia.
Produced by Frontier Touring, the Australasian leg of GLORIA the tour travels to Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne; Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney; Brisbane Entertainment Centre; and skips the Tasman for a concert Nov. 11 at Spark Arena, Auckland.
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Smith made something of a reconnaissance trip to Adelaide last week, the first stop on their next tour to these parts. South Australia Tourism hosted the “Unholy” singer for a winter sun escape, during which Smith cuddled a koala, met with local media and performed a one-off exclusive winery show at d’Arenberg Cube, at McLaren Vale.
“It’s so good to be back after so long,” they told the gathering of 300 VIPs and competition winners, after opening with “Stay With Me.” “Are you pissed yet?” Adelaide, the so-called City of Churches, they enthused, is “so beautiful. I can’t believe it. It’s like Italy. It’s stunning.”
Australia and NZ will cap a full run of dates across the U.K., Europe and North America, slated to start April 23 at Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England.
Work has begun on the marathon that awaits.
“I start rehearsals in March,” Smith tells Billboard. “I’m starting to prep now, really. I’m starting to watch what I eat, what I’m drinking, starting to move my body more, train my voice, just getting ready for the year ahead.”
On this occasion, “I’m not doing as many gigs this time as last time, when I hit nearly 130 gigs. That was really intense. We’re doing a little less, keeping an eye on my mind and my body.”
With Gloria, which is due out Jan. 27, Smith is four albums deep into a career that has yielded four Grammys, three BRITs, a Golden Globe, one Oscar, some 50 billion multi-platform streams, and a coveted James Bond theme.
Smith knows what to expect from the road ahead. “I think I’ll always feel fatigued after a tour, it’s an intense job. The jetlag and the adrenaline crash you go through every night when you walk off stage, it’s very intense. I plan my breaks, so it’s not going to be impossible. It’s just about getting used to jetlag. Every time I do it, I know how to look after myself more and more.”
Gloria, the followup to 2020’s Love Goes, features the previously-released singles “Love Me More,” “Gimme” and the Kim Petras-assisted hit “Unholy,” which logged a single week atop the Billboard Hot 100 last October. “Unholy” is nominated for best song at the 2023 Brit Awards.
Smith’s three studio albums all crashed the top 5 on the Billboard 200, with 2017’s The Thrill of It All hitting No. 1.
Renée Geyer, the ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted singer with an abundance of jazz, blues and soul in her powerful voice, died Tuesday (Jan. 17) from complications following hip surgery. She was 69.
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Born Sept. 11, 1953, in Melbourne, Geyer “lived her life as she performed – on her own terms and to the fullest,” reads a statement from her family and issued by Mushroom Group, whose founder, the late Michael Gudinski, was a decades-long friend and supporter of the artist.
She enjoyed solo success in Australia with covers “It’s a Man’s Man’s World”, “Heading in the Right Direction” and the bouncy ’80s number “Say I Love You,” and sang until the end, performing just last month to a full house, read the statement. The late artist was looking forward to “another busy year ahead doing what she loved most – performing for her loyal fans around the country.”
Geyer got her break in the ‘70s, initially in Sydney, with a string of pop, soul and reggae releases. Later, she would relocate to Los Angeles, where she contributed to recordings for Stevie Wonder, Joe Cocker, Neil Diamond, Bonnie Raitt and Chaka Kahn, before making a comeback in her homeland in the 1990s, with some help from Paul Kelly.
Australia’s music community remembers Geyer as a force of nature, and one of the finest artists produced by this country, whose recording career spanned five decades.
Matt Gudinski, CEO of Mushroom Group and son of Michael Gudinski, recounts Geyer as a “fierce, independent, strong and passionate” trailblazer for women in the music industry, while Philip Mortlock, creative director ORiGiN Music, remembers her as an “astonishing talent” with “a wicked sense of humor and intellect.”
Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett writes, “Sang with Renee at a charity show back in the day, of course she blew the roof off. One of the very best voices we ever had the privilege to hear.”
Oh dear, big loss. Condolences to family, friends, fans. Sang with Renee at a charity show back in the day, of course she blew the roof off. One of the very best voices we ever had the privilege to hear. ‘Renee Geyer dies aged 69 https://t.co/92ml2WEQwy via @ABCaustralia— Peter Garrett (@pgarrett) January 17, 2023
Geyer’s “impact as a female singer with both an uncontainable voice and personality has been immeasurable for Australian music,” comments ARIA and PPCA CEO, Annabelle Herd.
We mourn the passing of iconic Australian artist, producer and ARIA Hall of Fame inductee Renée Geyer. ARIA and PPCA CEO, Annabelle Herd, said: “Renée’s impact as a female singer with both an uncontainable voice and personality has been immeasurable for Australian music.” pic.twitter.com/AVozCmJjP0— ARIA (@ARIA_Official) January 17, 2023
Renée Geyer. A game changer. A soul diva. My sister in song. Heart felt condolences to her family and friends, and to the Australian music industry as a whole who have just lost a person who possessed one of the greatest voices I have ever heard. pic.twitter.com/MdWwHaozO2— Marcia Hines (@TheMarciaHines) January 17, 2023
Australia’s own Queen of Soul. A truly incredible singer has left us. My love to her friends, colleagues and many fans. Rest in peace Renee Geyer. pic.twitter.com/OcZXXWsMjW— paul grabowsky (@paulgrab) January 17, 2023
Composer Paul Grabowsky celebrates Geyer as “Australia’s own Queen of Soul.”
Geyer is also remembered for her rebellious nature, and for the slap she planted on interviewer Molly Meldrum while live on air on the ABC’s Countdown.
In her 2000 autobiography, Confessions of a Difficult Woman, co-written with music journalist Ed Nimmervoll, Geyer discussed her problems with substance abuse. And in its pages, she described herself as a “a white Hungarian Jew from Australia, sounding like a 65-year-old black man from Alabama.”
Geyer’ talents were unique, and celebrated, and her catalog 25 albums deep, a list she most recently added to with 2013’s Swing.
She cemented her icon status in 2005, when she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame alongside Split Enz, Normie Rowe, Smoky Dawson, The Easybeats, Hunters & Collectors and Jimmy Barnes. Then, in 2013 she was the first woman to be inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame; and in 2018 received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the Australian Women in Music Awards.
On International Women’s Day 2021, Double J celebrated 50 Game-Changing Women of Australian Music. Naturally, Geyer was on the list.
Despite her Hall of Fame recognition and several nominations, an ARIA Award eluded her.
While attending University Hospital Geelong, specialists discovered that Geyer also had inoperable lung cancer.
“She was in no pain and died peacefully amongst family and friends,” the family statement explains.
Details of her memorial will be forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, the late singer’s family asks that preferred donations be made to Support Act “as a way of giving back to an industry that loved her so much.”
We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Renée Geyer, one of the most highly regarded singers in contemporary music. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time. In lieu of flowers, she would have preferred donations be made here – https://t.co/vz6QjLv8RM pic.twitter.com/o1O1ue3OBG— Support Act (@SupportAct) January 17, 2023
Fifteen years after its release, Courteeners’ St Jude (via Polydor/UMR) is on track for its first U.K. chart crown.
Originally released in 2008, St Jude peaked at No. 4 on the Official Albums Chart, with three of its tracks going on to impact the U.K. top 40.
The British indie rock band has made seven top 10 appearances, including all six of their studio LPs.
Until now, Courteeners’ career U.K. chart peak is No. 2 for 2020’s More. Again. Forever. Thanks to a reissue of St Jude, Courteeners could go one better. It’s the top title on the Official Chart Update, published Jan. 16.
Based on sales and streaming data collated by the Official Charts Company, this week’s highest new entry could belong to Supergrass guitarist Gaz Coombes, whose fourth solo album Turn The Car Around (Hot Fruit) is chasing a No. 2 debut. If it continues to accelerate, Turn The Car Around would give Coombes his first solo top 10; Supergrass has six top 10 albums, including a No. 1 for their 1995 debut I Should Coco.
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Meanwhile, London rapper Clavish is eyeing his first top 10 appearance with his 28-track debut mixtape Rap Game Awful (Polydor). It’s new at No. 4 on the latest chart update.
Also pushing for top 10 debuts are indie rock Circa Waves with Never Going Under (Lower Third), on track for a No. 9 start; and veteran Scottish indie-pop band Belle & Sebastian with Late Developers (Matador), new at No. 10 on the U.K. chart update.
Finally, George Ezra enjoys an immediate bump after the singer and songwriter last week landed multiple nominations for the 2023 BRIT Awards. Ezra, who is up for song of the year and artist of the year at the annual ceremony, set for Feb. 11, sees his third successive chart-topping album Gold Rush Kid (Columbia) makes a rush for the top 40; it’s at No. 31 on the chart blast.
All will be revealed when the Official Charts are published late Friday.
Raye had the feel-good chart story of 2023 with “Escapism,” a slow burner that finally climbed to No. 1 earlier in the month for the British singer’s first leader.
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With Lewis Capaldi’s “Pointless” pushing “Escapism” to No. 2 on the latest chart, published last Friday (Jan. 13), Raye is making another push for the summit.
“Escapism,” featuring U.S. rapper 070 Shake, leads the U.K.’s First Look survey, which ranks the most popular singles after the first 48 hours in the chart cycle.
It’s not a done deal. Miley Cyrus is hot on her heels with “Flowers,” the Official Charts Company reports. It’s new at No. 2 on the chart blast.
The lead off to Cyrus’ eighth studio set Endless Summer Vacation, due out March 10, “Flowers” features production work from Tyler Johnson and Kid Harpoon.
Wherever it lands on the U.K. chart, “Flowers” should become her eighth U.K. Top 10 single, a list that she most recently added to in 2020 with Plastic Hearts tracks “Midnight Sky” (No. 5) and the Dua Lipa-assisted “Prisoner” (No. 8).
As Raye and Cyrus duke it out, Capaldi’s “Pointless” is out of the picture, certainly at this early stage. “Pointless, lifted from Capaldi’s forthcoming sophomore LP, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, is set to drop 1-11 on the weekly tally. Finally, “Creepin’” by producer Metro Boomin’ featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage is creeping up the chart, and could finally crack the top 10. It’s at No. 10 on the First Look tally.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published Friday.